Rotary valve



Daz. 2o, 1927.

G. F. RATHBUN R O TARY VALVE Filed June 21. 1926 Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

uNrrsDi STAT GEORGE R. R-A'lI-lvBUN,` OF '.PONTIAQ MICHIGAN.

' ROTARY vALvnl y Appiication ined :une 21,192eg` serial No. 117,255.

This invention relates to rotary valves for internal combustion engines, and hasfor its object to provide a simple and cheap device' Which will avoid manyo't the objectionable `1"1eituies 'commonly ascribed to rotary valve design and which havo been heretofore nietV with in internal combustion practice in the n use ot rotary valves. y

One of the impoitant requirements which it is an object of this invention to meet is that ot cooling the valve structure, so as to relieve undue or uneven expansion of the rotary member of the valve in its housing, and to prevent burning of the rotor; and another object ot the invention is to obtain in a novel and effective manner a preheating of the inlet charge to the engine.

Still further, the said invention contemplates the admission ojl' inlet gases to the cylinders of the engine througha plurality of openings, so that such charge enters the cylinders in a number of jets tending lto provide a more evenly distributed mixture in the cylinders and at the saine time to admit ota -ree and uninterrupted exhausting of the products of combustion from the cylinders. y

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide al built up rotary valve wierein a central rotary exhaust pipe is provided with sleeves forming the valves proper and having exhaust ports therein opening into the said pipe and inlet ports in the torni ot perforations opening into cavities Within the said sleeves, the .said sleeves being provided With annular series of passages in the Walls thereof through Which inlet gases are admitted Vto the said cavities Whilst absorbing heat from the Walls oit said valves proper.

Still further objects subsidiary to or resulting from the aforesaid objects or from the construction or operation of the invention as it may be carried into edect, Will beooine apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention in to eliect, I may provide a novel construction andarrangement of parts more particularly described and ascertained hereinafter, by Way' ot example, having reference to the accom-f panying drawing, wherein- Figure l is a horizontal section through .the cylinders and valve casing of an engine,v

illustrating in plan and partly in section a rotary valve embodying theV said invention;

Flgure'Qfis a vertical section through the valve casing;` 1

' Figure 3 is a. transverse sectiontakon on the line 3X--3 Figure l;

Figure t is a detail perspective viewvot one of the valve sleeves removed; 'and Figure 5 is a vdetail perspective vievv et one of said sleeves shown partly insection to indicate the passageways therein.

.Similar characters of reference indio-ale similar partsy in the several figures of the drawing. i f y i i 1 A, B, C and D represent the cylinders ol a tour cylinder internalcombustion engine, they cylinder head of which is provided with atubulai` valve casing l, and a, 0 and 0l are vcombinedinlet and exhaust ports estabk lishing coininunication between the said valve casing andthe said cylinders. kThe said valve casing is indicated as being pro'- vided with a: liner 2 similarly ported.\ and intermediate of the length of the said valve casing is'aninlet pipe 3.

4 is a rotary exhaust pipe of substantially smaller `diameter than the lining of the valve casing andprovided at one end With a closure in the formof a bevel gear 5 through which the said exhaust pipe 'may' be rotated as bythe pinion 6.

Corresponding `with the four cylinders are i four sleeves or valves proper 7, 8, 9 rand l0,

these Asleeves being `provided yWith exhaust ports 11, and the exhaust pipe 4L being coincidently ported,y the arrangement of the exhaust ports being in accordance With Whatever the iring order. of the cylinders may beas Will be Well understood by those conf versant with the art towvhich this invention appertains. The said sleeves are also provided vvith inlet portsL l2 each in theform of a plurality of orifices extending more or less radially through the Wallof the sleeve over a desired area approximating that of the area of the exhaust ports and Within each sleeve is a cavity 13 of substantial size With which communicate annular series of passages le in the Walls of the said sleeves, so that the said Walls may be said tojbe of cellular construction. The outerends of the two end lsleeves 7 and l() may however, be completely closed as at 7a and 10a for reasons which vvill be quite apparent When it is understood that the said passages 14 form the means whereby inlet gases from the inlet 3 are permitted to pass to the several cavities 13 ot the said sleeves, the closing'of the' pasoog exterior ot said exhaust sages at the outer ends of the sleeves V7 and from.

It Will be readily understood Without de- A tailed explanation how such inlet gases pass by Way of the passages 14 cavities 13 and inlet ports l2 to the cylinders as` the rotary valve as a Whole turns in the valve casing, and it Willbe noted thatthis passage or the cold inlet gases through the Walls of the sleevesivill have a very marked cooling etfect thereon, and that accordingly the inlet gases will be heated and in a readily comloustible condition. This condition is added to by the tact that considerable turbulence in splitting up ot the inlet gases as they enter the cylinders through the orifices ot the in let ports'lQ takes place.

A number ot cylinders or timing arrangement of the valves is ot course a matter ot convenience and desirability, and the invention may be developed within the scope oit the tollowingclaiins Without departing -trom the essential features ot the said invention, Wherefore i t isdesired that the speciiication and drawing be read as merely illustrative and not in a limiting sense, except as necessitated bythe prior art.

V5.7 hat I claim is l. In a rotary valve tor internal combustion engines, an exhaust pipe extending through the Center ot said valve, anda cylindrical casing enclosing said valve, said valve having inlet and exhaustports therein, and a plurality of inlet passages extending longitudinally through the Wall of said valve pipe to said inlet port. i f

2. In 'an internal combustion engine, a rotary valve device comprising a cylindrical valve casing having an inlet port, a rotary the particularl exhaust pipe housed therein, a sleeve mounted on said pipe and having a cavity in its inner Wall, radial ports communicating With said cavity and adapted tor communication with said inlet port, longitudinal passages through'4 the Wall ot said sleeve and communicating with said cavity, said sleeve and Yexhaust pipe having coincident exhaust ports.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a rotary valve ,device comprising a cylindrical valve casing having an inlet port, a rotary exhaust pn e housed therein, a sleeve torm- `ing' the valve proper mounted on said pipe,

said sleeve and pipe having coincident eX- haust Jorts therethrouoh and said sleeve having inlet ports opening radially thereo and annular seri of longitudinal passages affording communication between the inlet port oit the valve casing and the inlet ports of said sleeve, said inlet ports being in the ingY over a substantial area.

l. .In an internal combustion engine, a rotary valve device comprising a cylindricat valve casing having an inlet port, a rotary exhaust pipe housed therein, a sleeve fornr ing the valve proper mounted on said pipe, said sleeve and pipe having coincident exhaust ports therethrough and said sleeve having inlet ports opening radially thereof, and annular series oit' longitudinal passages ati'ording con'in'iunication between the inlet port ot the valve casing and the inlet ports ol said sleeve, said sleeve having a cavity in its inner Wall and in communication with the inlet ports ot said sleeve, said longitudinal passages extending trom the ends of said sleeve to said cavity.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' GEORGE F. RATHBUN.

forni of a plurality ot small orifices extendy 

